Compare Backing Paints
 |
Finding the right paint to protect your mirrored object can
be difficult and confusing. The chart below lists the
characteristics of our three most popular paints. |
Untested Paints:
Customers often ask about using household or automotive paints. We don't recommend it. Untested paints could easily contain trace chemicals that could discolor or erode the mirrored surface over time. All of our mirror backing paints are compatible with our mirror coatings.
Shellac:
Old timers used shellac under the backing paint to protect perfect silver mirrors. Mirror Undercoat is a time-tested shellac based primer for perfect silver and gold (Angel Gilded) mirrors. We do not recommend any shellac based paint for Copper and Galena mirror because it will oxidize these metals over time. Standard shellac bends and peels when you cut the mirrored glass. Mirror Undercoat does not.
| . | Black Mirror-Backing |
Black Roll Coat |
Permalac* | Gilsonite Asphaltum |
| Paint Color | Flat Black | Flat Black | Colorless or Black |
Dark Brown |
| Abrasion Resistance | High | High | High | Low |
| Chemical Resistance | High | High | High | Moderate |
| Water Proof | Moderate | High | Moderate | High |
| Clean Breaking | Yes | Yes | Moderate | Yes |
| Drying Time | Fast | Fast | Fast | Slow |
| Settles in Can | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Odor | Low | High | Low | Low |
| Solvent | Mineral Spirits | Xylene | Xylene | Mineral Spirits |
Chemical resistance refers to the ability of the dry paint film to stand up to other mirroring chemicals, mirror removers and soldering flux.
Clean breaking refers to the brittleness of the dry paint film; whether the paint breaks or peels when you cut the mirror.
*Permalac: We have 3 types of Permalac - Clear Permalac Original, Clear Permalac EF (low VOC) and Black Permalac Original. The characteristics listed here apply to all 3 types.
